Crash Course
by ADarkLoveWrittenInInk
Summary: Going to go back and redo the chapters of this story. I've had the completed version sitting on my computer for several long years now. Just now deciding to work on editing them to get them where I think they need to be.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-Crash Course

Rouge lay awake that night, thinking about the day her whole world came crashing down. She sighed as she remembered that day all too well.

Flashback

_Rouge awoke to noise coming from her mother and father's room. She had gotten up, grabbed her teddy bear, and headed toward her parents' room. As Rouge walked down the hall she could hear voices. All she knew was that she had to find them. When she reached their room. It was too late….._

Flashback Ends

Rouge looked at the alarm clock. She still had three hours. She sighed as she stepped out of bed and headed toward the shower.

"Why? Why do I still think of them? Damn them!"

Rouge bounded her fists into the shower wall. She pulled back as a light pinkish-red color blended into the hot water running down the shower wall. Rouge finally had had enough and stepped out of the shower.

Rouge pulled her vest over her head and snapped the 9 mm into her belt loop. She sighed as she slammed the door behind her. Rouge didn't stop as she walked past a guy on the street until something told her to. Rouge stopped as the guy stared at her. She sneered a hiss as the guy quickly hurried on his way.

Rouge's feet carried her to the Chaotix as always. She sighed as she used her ID and walked in. Rouge looked at the clock and realized it was only five o'clock, she still had three hours before everyone else showed up. She walked into Shadow's office and sank behind the desk and looked around the office.

There was the usual stuff: awards, papers, and other crap. Then there was the unusual stuff: Street Punk clothes, dog tags, Kayla's picture in a frame setting beside the one of him and Rouge, and finally there was a blind-fold laying over a loaded pistol.

Rouge sighed, "Damn. He never does learn." She chuckled as she looked at her own gun in her belt loop.

Rouge got up and headed toward the front of Detective Hedgehog's office and toward the shooting range. She sighed as she loaded her 9 mm and shot the target. She swore as she missed.

"Damn bastard." Rouge reloaded and took dead aim at the moving target.

The gun tripped and flipped out of Rouge's hands. Rouge took and looked at the blood on the gun. She looked down at her hands and sighed,

"Dammit. Dammit. _**Dammit! **_Bastards!"

Rouge looked at the target. Her eyes held pain, rage, and sadness all at once. Rouge was usually right up there with Shadow in shooting, but the target told a different story. Out of the thirty shots Rouge had taken, only seven of them took dead aim at the target's face, chest, and torso.

8:00 AM

Vector walked into Chaotix and looked around. Something was different. He looked and saw Espio's wife, Tonya, sitting at her computer; punching in numbers for upcoming cases. Espio was leaning against her desk watching her smooth motions of her fingers gladding across the keyboard. Charmy was flying around with screwdrivers, bombs, and various other items in his hands. Shadow was leaning against the wall smoking his last cigarette until after work.

Vector grabbed his clipboard and started to call role.

"Charmy Bee!'

Charmy stopped for a second and screamed, "HERE!"

Vector nodded and continued on, "Espio!'

"Here."

"Tonya!"

"Here!"

"Shadow!"

"Here!"

"Vector!"

Shadow sighed, "That's you boss."

Vector sighed, "Rouge."

"Here."

Everyone turned as the solid white female bat came into the lobby. Her right hand was bandaged from a faulty target practice.

Shadow looked at her hand, "What happened?"

"Gun misfired."

Everyone stopped and looked at her. Rouge could tell that they knew something was up. She sighed as she stepped into her office and closed the door. Everyone looked at Shadow. Shadow raised his hands in his defense.

"Don't look at me. I didn't do anything to her."

Rouge came back out with a box in her hands. She tossed it to Tonya. Tonya looked at her weird. Rouge stopped as she caught something on the computer screen. Rouge looked at the name…..Lance. She sighed as she continued to walk out to the front of the building. She pulled out a pack of Shadow's cigarettes. She flipped a match against the bottom of her boot and lit the cigarette. She inhaled and knew that today was going to be along day.

30 minutes later

Rouge looked at the last of the fire die on the cigarette. She sighed as she dropped it and walked back into the Chaotix. She was bombarded with questions. She slammed the door close and the questions silenced to a dull roar. Rouge looked at Tonya. Tonya nodded,

"Rouge. Where did you get these things?"

Rouge sighed, "They originally belonged to me. Why do you ask?"

Tonya nodded as she sat back behind the computer. Rouge nodded as she headed toward the firing range. Vector pushed Shadow on the back.

Shadow sighed, "Fine, but she's got a gun. And she knows how to use it."

"Don't worry she won't kill ya."

Shadow nodded as he headed toward the firing range.

At firing range

Rouge looked at the 9 mm in her left hand. She sighed as she pulled the trigger. Her right hand throbbed from the pain that the gun's recoil caused. Rouge put the gun down and stared at the target. Yet again there was only five to seven shots that made it.

"Tough luck. It took me more tries before I could get even four shots on that damn moving target."

Rouge turned to see Shadow walking toward her. Rouge blushed and turned back to the gun laying on the wall.

She sighed, "I guess. Still I can usually get **all** my shots on that **damn** thing."

Shadow stood back at the pain in her voice. Shadow looked at his bat girl, she was usually the only one that was hard to get under the skin with. But today was different. She was unstable and every little thing was upsetting her. Shadow walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Rouge stopped as she felt something different in her towards anyone at the Chaotix. She pushed away from Shadow. Shadow stared at her.

Rouge shook her head, _**"Stay away from me!"**_

Rouge took off out of the range and slammed the door close. Rouge ran past Tonya, Espio, Charmy, and jumped over Vector. She stopped when she Shadow staring at her with pain in his eyes. Rouge shook her head and ran out of the Chaotix and down the street. She headed home. She didn't want anything to do with work anymore.

Chaotix Lobby

Vector, Charmy, Espio, and Tonya all looked at Shadow. Shadow looked at all of them. Vector sneered at Shadow.

Shadow growled back, "**What? What do you want me to say? That I did something to her. I did nothing.**"

"Shadow. What happened to Rouge?" Tonya's voice calmed Shadow down a bet and looked at all of them.

"I…I…don't know. I just don't know," Shadow replied to all four of the Detectives.

Shadow walked out of Chaotix and headed to the only place he could think of that Rouge would be.

Club Rouge

Rouge set on the couch and looked at the TV. The screen was playing over a scene from when Rouge was little; her father, Blaze Bat, was calling her name off screen, while her mother, Yuki, was walking with her holding her hand. Rouge sighed as she knew she hated this. She was just killing herself inside. Rouge picked up the remote, but then another person appeared on the screen. Rouge knew his name.

The figure turned toward the video cam and smiled as he whispered, "I'm coming from you Rouge. Don't you worry about that."

Rouge shrieked as she turned the TV off. She looked at the blank TV as she tried to calm her nerves down. It wasn't working. Rouge thought of the next best thing. She grabbed the home phone and dialed a number from memory.

Back with Shadow

Shadow felt his phone vibrate against the side of his leg. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and pressed 'talk'.

"Hello?"

"Shadow!"

Shadow stopped for a second. He knew the number was Rouge's, but it didn't sound like her.

"Rouge?"

"Shadow. Can I stay at your house tonight?"

"Rouge. What's wrong? Rouge?"

"Shadow….please."

Shadow sighed as he nodded, "Sure Rouge."

The phone died. Shadow swore as he headed over to his house.

Club Rouge

Rouge opened the door as light flooded the doorway. Rouge sighed as she closed the door and left it unlocked. She walked the seven extra blocks to Shadow's and stopped as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned and there was a figure. She braced herself as the figure came closer.

The figure smiled, "My…my…you look younger than you did when you were a small yearling Ms. Bat."

Rouge recoiled against the figure's comment. She looked at the figure and knew him at once.

"Lance?!"

The figure nodded as he stepped up to Rouge. Rouge didn't move. Lance smiled as he placed his palm on Rouge's cheek.

"You're so much like your mother, Yuki. Too bad I had….."

Lance looked behind him as he saw a black blur coming from a mile up the road. He smiled as he walked away from Rouge and disappeared. The last words Rouge heard where:

"Don't worry I'll have you my perish Yuki. You can count on that and no Blaze the Bat will stop me."

Rouge walked up to Shadow's apartment door and leaned against it. She was confused and hurting. By the time Shadow got to his apartment Rouge was setting down and leaning against his apartment door. Shadow bent down and started to touch Rouge's cheek. About that second he heard a safety lock click. He backed up. Rouge opened her eyes. She tore her eyes away from Shadow's shocked red gems.

She sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just….I don't know anymore."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it Rouge," Shadow whispered to her.

Shadow stretched his hand out, Rouge took it as Shadow kicked his door in. Rouge stared at him. Shadow shrugged as he walked into the apartment. Rouge smiled as she walked into the familiar space. She sighed as she sank onto the duck taped couch. She leaned back as Shadow stared at her. She patted the space beside her.

Shadow smiled as he walked over and jumped down beside her. Rouge leaned against his chest. Shadow placed his head on top of hers. Rouge finally couldn't take it anymore. She started to cry. Shadow looked down at her with sadness. Rouge leaned deeper in the gap of Shadow's neck. Shadow pulled Rouge's smaller figure into his lap. He cradled her as a baby and whispered: 'I love you' over and over again. Rouge finally quieted down.

Rouge looked up at Shadow. She smiled, "Thank you, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Shadow smiled down at Rouge as both of them drifted off to sleep.

--

'Tonya The Cat, Kayla Parkinson, Lance The Fox, Appex The Porcupine, Zena The Squirrel, Maxcell The Chipmunk, Nails The Bat(whoever else is in the fic)belongs to shadrougeforever. These characters are not mine!'

Please review it would be a great help...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-Pieced Memories

_Rouge gripped something in her hands. She didn't understand. She didn't understand the pain that was coming from her mother's mouth. She didn't understand why Daddy wasn't moving. All she did know was that __**that**__ man had killed them. _

Rouge snapped await to see that she was gripping the couch with such force that her fingers had turned purple. Rouge released the couch as she shifted her weight. She looked around and found Shadow laying down by the couch with a pillow over his head. She smiled as she got up and walked into the bathroom. She turned the shower on and the nozzle spat water at her face.

Rouge stood under the water and was wrapped in thought, that she didn't see another figure get in beside her. Rouge shrieked as someone grabbed her from behind. She turned and met Shadow's lips. Rouge calmed down and leaned into Shadow' embrace. She snuggled up to his wet chest fur and smiled.

Shadow kissed the top of her head and looked at her. Rouge cocked her head to one side and smiled as she kissed the end of his nose. Shadow smiled as Rouge shut the water off and stepped out, and wrapped a towel around both of them. Shadow looked at her as she looked into the mirror and froze.

"Rouge?"

"You ever wonder what my parents would have thought of you?"

Shadow swallowed hard, "Probably that I'm some Street Punk and shouldn't be dating their baby girl."

Rouge stopped as Shadow said 'baby girl,' she turned and looked at Shadow. She turned back around and leaned into his chest as she closed her eyes. Shadow looked down as his fierce bat girl and felt his heart breaking into two.

At that second Shadow's communicator buzzed from under the blankets that he had been sleeping on from last night. He sighed as he grabbed another towel and wrapped around his mid section and walked out of the bathroom with Rouge following him.

Vector's voice boomed out of the speaker,

"SHADOW! DAMN YOU! SHADOW WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU! LAZY ASS HEDGEHOG!"

Shadow picked up the communicator with rage biting at his voice,

"_What was that Vector?_"

"Sorry. Didn't think you were listening. Anyway Tonya needs both you and Rouge down here in a couple of minutes. Can you do that?"

Rouge grabbed the communicator before Shadow could speak his mind to their boss.

"Sure Vec. Anything else? You know maybe a coffee or better yet: A good kick in the ass."

"Rouge!'

Rouge clicked the frequency off as Shadow stared at her. Shadow chuckled as Rouge joined in with him.

"Well. Come on. Vec will be wondering where we are."

Shadow nodded as he slipped his gun into his belt and placed his razor into his back pocket. Rouge pulled her vest over her large bust and placed her 9 mm into her belt loop. Shadow stared at her. She was amazing with the quickness of slipping her gun into her belt and a vest she was different. A dangerous version of his Rouge Bat. He smiled as Rouge kicked the door closed as they left.

Chaotix

Charmy smiled as he saw Shadow-arms locked with Rouge's-coming down the street.

Charmy smiled, "Rouge!"

Rouge looked up and waved, but stopped as Tonya waved her over. She broke the lock Shadow had created. She walked over to Tonya. Rouge cocked her head toward Tonya.

"Rouge. How did you acquire those object?"

Rouge rubbed the upper part of her right arm. Shadow looked at the motion and knew she was scared. Rouge looked back into the eyes of Tonya. She sighed,

"Those belonged to Yuki the Bat."

Vector and Espio came out as Rouge said the last three words. Espio stared at her with his eyes dead sight on her scared turquoise ones.

"You mean _the_ Yuki the Bat."

Rouge nodded, "Yeah." It was a whisper but everyone-including Shadow-heard it.

"You mean you stole those things from Yuki."

"No. Dammit! Yuki the Bat was my m…..never mind." Rouge pushed past them and walked into Chaotix.

Shadow walked past all of them. Vector stopped him. Shadow placed his gun against Vector's head.

"I may be a fucking Street Punk, but I care about my girl. Now let me through. You wouldn't want an accident. Now would you?"

Espio and Tonya gripped both their guns. Vector nodded as Shadow snapped the gun back into his belt and walked into Chaotix. Everyone outside released their breath as they realized they had been holding it.

Rouge leaned against the wall in the ward. She wasn't with it, but she knew that her father's body was here. She was leaning against the drawer that read: **Blaze Bat**. She sighed as she knew she'd have to explain sometime to the others. She heard a noise as she heard Shadow's shoes against the tile floor. Rouge sighed as he looked down at her.

"Rouge?"

"Dammit Shadow. They were my fucking parents! Why them? Why them? Dammit!'

Shadow jumped the railing and landed beside Rouge he gripped her hand before she throw another punch against the floor. Rouge stopped as Shadow's eyes locked hers in place. Shadow pulled her up and crushed her against his chest.

"Don't. Just don't. You'll regret it later. Trust me."

"Shad…..ow."

Shadow pressed her head against his shoulder with his left hand as he rubbed her back with his right. Rouge couldn't stop. She couldn't see a reason to. She didn't want anything to do with this anymore.

Rouge finally pulled away from Shadow and looked at his-now-baggy assed dark red shirt from where she had cried on his shoulder. Shadow smiled, "Who were your parents?"

Rouge didn't hesitate as she told Shadow her number one secret that would kill her if anyone else knew.

"Yuki the Bat was my mother. Blaze the Bat was my father. That's why when you found his body I disappeared for a while."

Shadow stared at Rouge. She had never opened to him like that. Even he found it hard to believe that Yuki and Blaze the Bat were Rouge's parents. Shadow looked to see Rouge rubbing the upper half of her arm. He sighed, "Come one. You'll have to tell them." Rouge nodded.

Suddenly a warning bell sounded through the ward, shooting range, lobby, and the offices.

"ATTENTION ALL PERSONAL ARE REQUIRED UP FRONT!!"

Rouge pushed past the table in the ward and hurried up the stairs. Shadow was right behind her. Rouge turned back and winked, "Hey. Hey. They're singing our song." Shadow smiled as he winked back, "Just the right tone."

Chaotix Lobby

Espio looked at Tonya as she snapped her twin pistols in her belt. Charmy was snapping the toolbox shut with his tools. Vector had his 9 mm loaded and resting against his hip. At that second Rouge stopped in front of Tonya,

"What's up?"

"Just another murder in Tech City. What else?"

"Just another murder, huh?"

Tonya turned as Shadow stepped up beside Espio. Rouge nodded, "Alright Shadow."

Vector, Charmy, Espio, and Tonya all looked at Detective Bat and Detective Hedgehog.

"What's going on?," Espio's voice sounded a little further away.

Rouge smiled as she answered his question, "You'll be paired up with Shadow. I'm going with Tonya."-Rouge turned to Vector-"Sorry Vec, but you'll be paired up with Charmy. Sound good to you guys?"

Everyone nodded as they loaded into the cruiser. Rouge took off after Shadow.

Tech City Crime Scene

Rouge dropped down in front of a scared mother and daughter. She looked at the little girl and froze. The little girl was Nails' daughter. Rouge looked at the mother, Nails. Rouge sighed, "Sorry about Swift."

Nails looked at Rouge. She hissed a warning at Rouge. Rouge backed up and bowed her head, "Yeah. You too sister."

At that second Nails grabbed hold of Rouge. Rouge just stood there and stared at the piercing crystal blue eyes of her solid black sister. Nails gripped her and held her sister there with such hate that it sacred her. Finally Nails dropped Rouge back down.

"You can't say you're sorry. You didn't ever come around and see Swift with his daughter, Bali. You don't know shit Rouge the Bat."

Rouge nodded her head, "You're right. I don't. All I do know is that Bali and you were the last ones to see Swift. I just need to know what you know."

Nails smacked Rouge across the face. Rouge placed her hand against the burning red mark. She sighed, "Do you prefer Tonya?" Nails nodded her head. Rouge left.

Tonya stood next to Shadow. She turned when she saw Rouge's face a bright red on the right side. She ran over to her.

"What happened? Who hit you?"

Rouge sighed, "Nails' husband is the one that was killed. Second she was the one that hit me. I said the wrong things. Anyway watch the little hybrid, Bali."

Tonya looked at Rouge's eyes. She stopped from moving toward Nails and Bali,

"Rouge?"

Rouge looked at her.

"Please, what's wrong?"

"_Get back to work!_," Rouge hissed at Tonya.

Tonya walked quickly over to where Nails and Bali were now crying.

Body at Crime Scene

Shadow looked as Rouge knelt down beside the body. She looked over the body and saw something that didn't add up. She looked at the victim's chest. She cocked her head to once side,

"That doesn't make since."

"What?"

"It's just that….."

Rouge turned as something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looked down an alley way. She sighed as she stepped from Shadow's side. Shadow looked at her,

"Rouge?"

"I'll be right back."

Shadow watched her ran across the street to an alley way. She disappeared as she turned and took off toward another dead end.

Alley way

Rouge looked up to see a figure looking at her. She stopped as the figure smiled and came toward her.

"Rouge. You seem so startled by me. I guess you would be since you've seen my present."

Rouge knew that voice but from where. At that second the figure pulled out a 30.30. Rouge stopped dead in her tracks. Now of all times would be nice to have Shadow around. Rouge pulled her 9 mm and shot.

Meanwhile at Crime Scene

**BANG**

Shadow stopped as he heard a shot being fired. He looked across the way to the alley and looked back to see Tonya taking off with her gun in her hand. Shadow followed after her, leaving Espio, Charmy, and Vector to take care of the crime scene.

Back at the Alley Way

Rouge fired again as the figure took off. Rouge opened her wings and shot after the figure. The figure jumped up to the top of a building. Rouge landed lightly on the building and stared at the figure.

The figure smiled, "So, you still want to fight?"

Rouge looked at the figure. He had at least four rounds in him. She sighed, "What the hell are you?"

The figure smiled, "Someone you know. Someone that you once held dear to you. Do you want me to keep going?"

Rouge stepped back as she realized at once who the figure was. She felt her boot heel fall free from the building's ledge. She dropped her gun and felt a round fire into her vest and go through to her back. She gasped as the pain came in waves.

The figure jumped and grabbed her. Rouge tried to fight, but the figure was too strong. She looked at the figure and grabbed the hood that the figure was wearing. When she pulled it off the face of her sister, Nails, was staring a her. Rouge froze as the ground met with her.

30 minutes later

Rouge awoke to hear voices.

"Rouge!"

"Rouge!"

Rouge knew one of those voices as Shadow. She got up from the crater that her body had made and looked to see her gun laying a few feet away. She picked it up and looked around. Had she to be lying to herself, _'There's no way. There's no way Nails could kill her husband, Swift.'_

Rouge felt pain in her back. She shrugged it off and started to walk out of the alley.

Meanwhile with Shadow and Tonya

Shadow stared at the purple female cat. The purple cat looked back at the black and red blazed hedgehog. Tonya sighed,

"Shadow. I'm sure she's fine."

Shadow turned his head and caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and there stood Rouge. He looked at her from head to toe. Rouge caught his eyes and moved out of his path. She walked over to Tonya and handed her the 9 mm. Both, Tonya and Shadow stared at her.

"Rouge!"

"Look. I gotta go see my sister. I'm not allowed to bring guns around the baby. Ya know?"

With that Rouge walked out of the alley. Shadow started to go after her. Tonya caught him. Shadow turned and looked at her. Tonya sighed,

"Got to Nails' place. That's where she's headed. Go now and you can beat her."

Shadow nodded his 'thanks' and took off toward Nails' place.


End file.
